Pro Athletes V Speedway Riders V I Am Getting Old

[SCB 0]

One thing that takes a lot of getting used to is breathing when on a speedway bike..

 

Do you breath in when you're going in to a corner, and out coming out a corner, or do you only breathe on the straights, I also used to hold my breath on the green light.. it's not as easy to breathe as you think...

You're right. Every time I ride a speedway bike I actually forget to breathe for a while Same in a go-kart!

[Shale Searcher 1,264]

You're right. Every time I ride a speedway bike I actually forget to breathe for a while Same in a go-kart!

 

It's difficult, isn't it...! When I rode in a proper amateur meeting at Stoke (programme an all) holding breath at the tapes was difficult, 4 amateurs all trying to sit still!!

 

Don't think I took a breath from green light, to coming out 2nd bend!!, and by the time you've breathe out and in, turn 3 is there!!!! Truly out of breath after 4 laps on a waterlogged Stoke track!!

[phillipsr 2,053]

Cant believe anyone would say Speedway is worse because riders are fitter!! The reason i started to wnjoy speedway when i was young had nothing to do with unfit smokers. In my time of watching speedway ive never known any of the best riders who werent fit

[THE DEAN MACHINE 4,738]

Cant believe anyone would say Speedway is worse because riders are fitter!! The reason i started to wnjoy speedway when i was young had nothing to do with unfit smokers. In my time of watching speedway ive never known any of the best riders who werent fit

that's not what I'm saying , it's not about being fit , they all are it's about them banging on about being this highly tuned althlete and fans really couldn't care less

[Falcon Hammer 576]

If you get a chance Dean, mechanic for Danny Ayres. Although he's relatively new to the sport, he's old school & the majority of supporters love him because of that

[E I Addio 15,844]

that's not what I'm saying , it's not about being fit , they all are it's about them banging on about being this highly tuned althlete and fans really couldn't care less

I get your point. Riders like Jim Tebby were of their generation, when people in general didn't understand things like fitness and diet in the way they do now. Times move on.

 

I think fitness is overrated in someways. In most sports fitness has to be focussed on that sport. In Speedwáy upper body strength is important so I can understand working on weights, but I don't think riding a motto cross bike necessarily adds much to Speedwáy fitness because it is a totally different sport.

 

But it has to be put in perspective. No point in being 100% fit if you lose the benefit by not setting the bike up properly or not having the wheels in line. Speedwáy is a very complex sport from a competitors point of view and it's important to get every aspect right and not keep working in the gym if it is at the cost of preparing the bikes properly.

[THE DEAN MACHINE 4,738]

If you get a chance Dean, mechanic for Danny Ayres. Although he's relatively new to the sport, he's old school & the majority of supporters love him because of that

im already spanner man for a pole this year

I get your point. Riders like Jim Tebby were of their generation, when people in general didn't understand things like fitness and diet in the way they do now. Times move on.

 

I think fitness is overrated in someways. In most sports fitness has to be focussed on that sport. In Speedwáy upper body strength is important so I can understand working on weights, but I don't think riding a motto cross bike necessarily adds much to Speedwáy fitness because it is a totally different sport.

 

But it has to be put in perspective. No point in being 100% fit if you lose the benefit by not setting the bike up properly or not having the wheels in line. Speedwáy is a very complex sport from a competitors point of view and it's important to get every aspect right and not keep working in the gym if it is at the cost of preparing the bikes properly.

speedway is all about heads , the head of the engine and the head that's on the shoulders are the things that win races with the one in the shoulders being the most important , if that bit isn't right everything else is pointless and that includes fitness

[Davet 52]

As I see it, riders and promotions take things far too seriously these days, and, as a consequence much of the fun has gone out of speedway. A few years ago, riders seemed to take part because they enjoyed it, and, apart from the top riders payment was a bonus to supplement their income. The fitness thing is, I feel down to the need to maximise earnings rather than to enjoy what they are doing.

 

It's all about money now, and, although the racing is probably as good as it ever was, the "fun" atmosphere which predominated in the 60s, 70s and 80s is now in short supply.

[BWitcher 12,453]

im already spanner man for a pole this year

speedway is all about heads , the head of the engine and the head that's on the shoulders are the things that win races with the one in the shoulders being the most important , if that bit isn't right everything else is pointless and that includes fitness

 

Fitness can play a massive part in being mentally prepared. It can install confidence.

 

I think you're quite of touch with this Dean, the younger generation, whom the sport desperately needs to attract can relate to fitness.

[Davet 52]

Don't think anyone would argue that being fit was anything but a good thing. It's just that the modern, professional, sanitised version of Speedway is less appealing to the average spectator than the unsilenced, smelly version of the sport which existed in the 60s and 70s. The fitness regime is just one symptom of the professionalism which has reduced the appeal of the sport in my opinion.

[THE DEAN MACHINE 4,738]

 

Fitness can play a massive part in being mentally prepared. It can install confidence.

 

I think you're quite of touch with this Dean, the younger generation, whom the sport desperately needs to attract can relate to fitness.

as I've said yes I'm getting old and maybe it's a dated view ,this pro althlete crap might apeal to the riders but it doesn't do anything for the fans and that brings us to the same old point , who is the most important people in speedway ,riders or fans ?because the sport is currently being run by the riders for the riders and the fans are expected to pay for it and it makes a total joke of the fitness stuff when all you see from the young generation is diabeties in a can being drunk

Don't think anyone would argue that being fit was anything but a good thing. It's just that the modern, professional, sanitised version of Speedway is less appealing to the average spectator than the unsilenced, smelly version of the sport which existed in the 60s and 70s. The fitness regime is just one symptom of the professionalism which has reduced the appeal of the sport in my opinion.

this is point I'm trying to make Edited February 11, 2017 by THE DEAN MACHINE

[Gemini 4,894]

Well, I've been a fan in the 60's and 70's and even before that. I'd still prefer to see a nice fit rider than some scruffy sod like Graham Plant.

[Mr Snackette 190]

Times change, as does our knowledge of the impact of health and fitness on our everyday lives.

 

In the 1940s and 1950s, doctors used to recommend that smoking was actually good for both the baby and the expecting mother because it was so relaxing. It wasn’t until the 1960s that their findings on smoking and the impact on the fetus were made available to the wider public. And even then, it wasn’t until the 1980s that a nationwide campaign kicked off to get mothers to put out their cigarettes.

 

Is it any wonder that the majority our sporting heroes of the 50's, 60's and 70's were less than super fit athletes?

[THE DEAN MACHINE 4,738]

Times change, as does our knowledge of the impact of health and fitness on our everyday lives.

 

In the 1940s and 1950s, doctors used to recommend that smoking was actually good for both the baby and the expecting mother because it was so relaxing. [/size]It wasn’t until the 1960s that their findings on smoking and the impact on the fetus were made available to the wider public. And even then, it wasn’t until the 1980s that a nationwide campaign kicked off to get mothers to put out their cigarettes.[/size]

 

Is it any wonder that the majority our sporting heroes of the 50's, 60's and 70's were less than super fit athletes? [/size]

and you don't have to be super fit to ride a speedway bike and be successful infact the muscles used in a gym are not the ones used when you ride , you only need to be race and mentally fit and have top equipment and you will go a long way in this sport and you get that by racing and winning , if you are not a gym sort of person of which there are plenty in the sport being forced to do it by others will be having an adverse effect on your mental racing state , im not saying you shouldn't go to the gym everyday if that floats your boat but if it doesn't then don't force it on others, this week I was watching a documentary on john McGuiness and he was talking about this , he said he doesn't do fitness , he doesn't like it and even he admits he is slightly over weight and yet he is a world beater , why ? because he is mentally strong and has top equipment , you don't need to be a super althete to be a motorcycle champion Edited February 14, 2017 by THE DEAN MACHINE

[Trees 2,814]

If many riders now feel keeping fit and eating right helps them be better riders then so be it, who are we to question them?

 

Of course they also need to give thought to the sport and what they can give to it to entice fans to watch them. I do wonder if they ever think like this or simply how they can maximise their earning potential from the sport full stop?